The Blood Stained Face
by ImpendingxXxDoom
Summary: Enishi's past has come back to him and the death of his sister still looms on his memory... (the website isn't cooperating but I am revising a couple things since I've found out a lot of mistakes I wrote in the story. so sorriez wit the hold up!!)
1. The Blood Stained Face

Okay just to explain to you all…none of the characters are mine and they all belong to the makers of Rurouni Kenshin/ova's/ and seisouhen. I'm not that rich so yeah….  Don't look at me. This is just the base for my story, and I'm not finished so hold on ^^;;

Chapter One

            The darkness loomed around a childish figure that stood within the tall trees that held tightly to the snow blanketed ground. 

"Finally the moment was to come for him…Finally…Finally…" Enishi thought. "That bastard took away my dear nee-san's happiness and he'll pay for it…He'll die for it at the hands of my leader of the clan, Yaminobu! Tomoe…doesn't deserve to be miserable…ever!" His eyes burned with desire and revulsion as he waited patiently behind the trees. 

His black hair had been covered with fallen snow and it had been melting slowly by his warmth. The soft air brushed against his young face that showed a new start in life. Enishi held his sister's wooden umbrella tightly telling him that it would be all over soon. Just in a little while…it would be all over…

"Who was Kiyosato to you? Was he not the one you cared for dearly? At least you were the one that he cared for deeply…He risked his life to make you happy." Tatsumi's words ringed in her ears as she sat in a small temple near by where the final battle would be taken place. Her father wanted what was best for her. Which was to keep her happy and avenge Kiyosato's death.

"I just wanted him near me, just to be near me…" Tomoe whispered to herself while she leaned against the door. Her voice faltered and a lone tear fell down her frail and pale face.

"All of us are men with deep fates…and by this virtue of predestinated fate, we live or die…it is the fate of men. Thus to protect the Tokugawa lineage, we will defeat him. Remember the one who you cared for deeply, remember Kiyosato…" His words were true yet cruel in her ears. She knew that the Hitokiri Battousai was the one who killed her beloved Kiyosato…she knew that the Battousai had to die…but…he was a different person. Just misunderstood by these people. He was just doing the same thing that her father was doing…to protect the weak people and to fight for justice.

"No…no, he can't die. Ken…shin…" The tear filled eyes quavered and she brought herself to look up. 

A drop of snow fell on Enishi's right hand as he cradled his sister's umbrella. As he looked up, he saw the barren leaves of the winter trees. The leaves had fallen of months before and no birds were around to sing of happy melodies to show the slightest hint of spring. Footsteps that crunched the snow caught his attention. His eyes fell on the staggering figure in the distance that walked with a limp and used it's sword as a crutch. He finally realized who it was, and feelings of thrill came up in his chest. "He came. Just as Tatsumi said he would. Battousai is finally here!" His mouth formed a grin as he watched the Battousai slowly walk to his final destination where Tatsumi stood waiting to deliver justice. That Battousai stopped in his track with a solid distance between him and Tatsumi. All three men stood quietly to await the moments that lay ahead of them. The future was going to be determined by who won and what happened. 

            The snow was being blown into the temple where Tomoe silently waited. As she looked behind her, the outline of the Battousai slowly appeared.

            "No…no…he can't fight. He'll die…" the thoughts running through her mind. She searched her head to think of what to do. Something to stop him. Something to even delay them. Anything would work, as long as Kenshin didn't perish under Tatsumi's fists.  She ran to the double doors and slightly opened the left one to see what was to happen. 

            "Why won't father do anything? Isn't it time he brought justice? Leader! Hurry and kill the bastard before he does anything to you!" The grip on his sister's umbrella became tighter as seconds went by. Kenshin's body was feeble and weak from the last two fights he had on his way. He could barely stand and needed the help of his crutch to stand straight. One eye had been shut tightly with blood running down from it.

            "You're appearance as I see it, is that of a man who has used up all his strength to arrive here. You might be the Battousai, but fighting with no one to protect is indeed cruel. You had no one to protect from the beginning, but we do. In the name of our feudal government, I must now conclude this matter, and at the same time, I will avenge my losses. That would be the only way I can make my amends for not being there to protect them." Snow blew around all three of them and the blizzard became stronger just as Tatsumi sprinted towards Kenshin. Excitement began to race through Enishi as he saw the moment where his father would finally make his nee-san happy. 

            Tatsumi sprinted and slowly raised his right fist; about throw a punch into Kenshin's stomach. Time seemed to have gotten slower at this point and Enishi watched and his eyes widened as he saw Kenshin slowly grab his sword, pull it out of its sheath, and lean forward. Kenshin dropped immediately on the ground and brought out his sword to do a powerful horizontal slash to kill him. He hesitated for a moment to capture his strength for another move but Tatsumi's jab to Kenshin's chin nearly broke his neck. Kenshin slowly moved backwards and Tatsumi grinned at the fact that he would be the victor of this match. Kenshin's left foot stopped him from falling backwards and he lunged his body forwards to catch balance. He did another less powerful horizontal slash that Tatsumi evaded. Kenshin slashed like this for another three times in an unbalanced motion which Tatsumi avoided.

            His movements were no longer the swift and flowing movements that the Hitokiri Battousai used to kill the thousands of people. He staggered with each move, missing at every single swing. Finally, he slowly moved his sword backwards and dived forward. Tatsumi blocked his sword with his left fist that was padded with a leather glove that showed his bare fingers. He gave a look at Kenshin and brought his right knee up to hit him in the stomach. Kenshin flew in a 360-degree spiral and fell to the ground groaning.

            Tomoe, who was watching and hearing all this from behind the doors of the temple, clenched her ear to keep herself from hearing Kenshin's groans. She desperately wanted to help him…but…how? The only way she could help him is if her father missed and Kenshin somehow got his strength back…or…she could do one last thing…that would put an end to her misery. Visions of Kiyosato appeared in front of her eyes, and as she finally looked to her right, she saw him standing there. His clothes and body drenched with his own blood. He held out a small flower with petals that were of bright red. She closed her eyes and looked away from the ghastly figure of the one she loved. Her eyes narrowed as she finally realized what she had to do.

            Tatsumi lifted Kenshin by his kimono and did a jab into Kenshin's stomach. And as Kenshin was suspended for a short time in the air, Tatsumi brought both of his hands into one fist and slammed Kenshin's back. The sword that was left in Kenshin's hands was as strong as it was when he first got it. But his grip that used to be ever so tight was now limp and could barely hold the handle of the sword. His strength was diminishing but his inspiration to help Tomoe was still strong. Visions of her kept him standing and alive. As he regained some strength back, he stood back up without the help of his sword but Tatsumi's palm was aimed at his face. Tatsumi pushed his palm into Kenshin's face and forced Kenshin to stagger back about eight feet. The strength was still there, and it hadn't diminished totally. He brought up his sword once again and tried to do a cut to Tatsumi's head, but instead found that it was blocked once again by his left fist. Tatsumi brought his arm into a hook and took Kenshin and swerved him into a 180-degree circle and threw him onto the ground, which made Kenshin do a flip, then a slide, and hit his back onto a nearby tree.

            He couldn't stop now. Not after trying to come up all the way for Tomoe. "I would die for her…so I can't…stop…now…I'm almost…there…but…she…wanted…to kill me…it still…doesn't matter…" he thought as he coughed. He saw his own blood falling onto his kimono just as Tatsumi brought out a dagger.  "I know I still have strength…I…can do this…" He brought up his sword as a crutch once again and struggled to get back up. As he stood straight, he yelled at the top of his lungs, about ready to give his final attack, the most powerful one that would use all of his strength and kill his opponent.

            Enishi's eyes widened even more at this point. "No, he can't win…" he chuckled. "He can't beat my leader, especially after he's been weakened up to this point." But yet a horrific feeling arose in his stomach. Something was going to happen. Something terribly bad, but he still told himself that nothing could go wrong at this point. He squirmed and took a step back and scowled at Kenshin from far away. Nothing could stop his leader from avenging his sister's happiness. Nothing…

            Tatsumi grinned at Kenshin as he held the dagger. _"No way that a weak man like him could defeat me now. He's almost dead! Ha!"_  But as he thought this, Kenshin dashed towards Tatsumi with his sword trailing behind him.

            Tomoe's lavender scarf was still in Kenshin's hand. He remembered that he had it after he read her diary about the death of her fiancée. As the thoughts were running through his head, he grasped the sword tighter, Tatsumi rushed towards Kenshin with the dagger ready to plunge into his chest. 

            Thoughts of the past were racing through Kenshin's mind. He remembered those he killed in the past as he ran yelling at the top of his lungs. 

"I have killed people to protect the happiness of those who are weak. But it was because of me; you lost your own happiness. I have stolen your precious happiness away from you, in ignorance. Yet you still stay by me. I have no right to protect you…I did that to you…" He slowly brought up his sword with his right hand, and he brought it down to swing, and when the handle was above his head, he grabbed the bottom of the handle with his left hand for a stronger slash. 

Suddenly, in his mind, Tomoe's voice was heard. "It sold better than we thought. You ate it so deliciously although it doesn't taste that great. I just feel tired. This evening I had a dream of you." Her hands were covering his eyes and he took his hands and turned around to see her face. But no one was there behind her, all he saw were flower petals flowing in the air everywhere. As he turned around, he saw a grave. One that was similar to the ones he made when he was still a child. When he still had the name Shinta. When his hands and soul were still clean without blood. The grave had a cross on top of the little mound, which was where the body was buried. And on that cross, Tomoe's lavender scarf was hung around it. The sun was bright with the colors of the bright, ripe tomatoes that used to be grown at their farm. Yes, they lived together on a farm as newlyweds. They crops grew well and they received a lot of money by selling the harvested foods. But their happiness didn't continue until Iisuka, a fellow rebel like Kenshin, tells them that the violence is still harsh and that they are still in danger. 

"Tomoe…I have no right to…protect you…"


	2. The Death of a Love

Chapter 2

            Blood sprayed everywhere as Kenshin brought down his sword. Tomoe's scarf veiled his eyes, but as it slowly fell from his eyes…He saw the one terror, which will scar him for the rest of his life. The sword went through a body. Not one that he expected. Not Tatsumi's. But that body was Tomoe's…

            She had blocked Tatsumi's dagger, but instead was slashed by Kenshin's sword. Blood was raining everywhere around him…It stained his face, his hair, his clothes…the ground…The sword went straight through Tomoe and hit Tatsumi's body, thus killing both of them. Tatsumi slowly fell backwards groaning.

            "I do not understand women, they do such stupid things…" he slowly let go of the dagger that both he and Tomoe ended up holding. The soft snow was stained with bright red blood of Tatsumi, as he lay dead. Tomoe fell backwards into Kenshin's arms, her own blood staining her clothes. He was still unaware of what was happening. He stood still for a little while, until he saw what had really happened.

            "TOMOE!!" his voice echoed in the wind as the blizzard passed.

Snow lightly fell around both Kenshin and Tomoe as he sat there cradling her frail body. She coughed and stirred for a moment. His eyes fell on her pale face that was slowly fading away. 

"If I just hadn't killed her. If I just hadn't become a Hitokiri. She would've been happy with Kiyosato and I would've been out somewhere as a rurouni." His lips trembled with words and feelings he just couldn't describe. He had just killed the one who truly understood what the people had to go through. The people that had their families die under his sword. The sadness and torture that he must have put her through! 

"Only if she stayed alive. She has to! Tomoe…" Kenshin's face was etched with worry. His eyes were filled with tears that never came to him after the day the three maidens who took care of him were killed by thieves. Those three women had cared for him and let him be spared from death. Tomoe was just the same.

"T…Tomoe…" he whispered with difficulty to speak. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Her right hand still had the dagger clutched into her hands. The strength had diminished from her, as she was about to pass away. Slowly, she lifted the dagger up to his cheek. The scar he had gotten before from the fight between him and Kiyosato was still there. It was a scar where it would be there unless the person who caused it gets what he wants from the other person. The scar would bleed every time Kenshin would do something that Kiyosato wouldn't like, such as if he were to kill someone, the scar would bleed and never heal.

Tomoe lifted the blade and let the tip sink through the skin of his cheek. She made a cut as long as your thumb over the scar that Kiyosato had made. The two cuts made a cross-scar, which he would carry all through his life. Kenshin slowly opened his eyes and his tears welled up even more. He realized the pain and angst that he would have to carry throughout his entire life. The heavy burden that she had to carry was finally gone. She was going to be happy again now, but…she would be gone from his life. A tear fell down his blood stained face and the drop of blood fell on Tomoe's face. She had a pained expression, one filled with pity and doubt.

"I'm sorry." She said with the last of her strength. Her rosy, but now pale, lips formed a smile across her face. Then the strength seemed like it was drained out of her as she dropped her hand and dagger on the snow blanketed ground. Her life was finally gone from her body. Kenshin's eyes widened and he felt sorrow and unending pain as he saw her body lie there on his legs. Blood was everywhere around them and snow was no longer pure and white anymore. Kenshin took his arms and put them around Tomoe to embrace her.

Enishi stood amidst the two and watched in awe of what had happened before his eyes. His grip on nee-san's umbrella lightened as it dropped to the ground. The snow had gathered on his hair and his eyes were wide with terror. He no longer had a father or a sister. His mother had died when he was young so he depended on his nee-san as a mother and an older sister. _"Onee-san…"_ Snow fell lightly as he silently stood. _"No, it couldn't have happened. His leader was sure to have been the victor. Kenshin was too weak to do anything. But…Kenshin killed onee-san! I saw it with my own eyes! He killed her! At first he takes away her happiness and now he takes away her life?! She…She's gone now! He'll pay for this! He'll die at my sword with Jinchuu since Tenchuu has not been paid!!"_


	3. The Impending Future Unfinished

Chapter 3 

11th year of the Meiji Era…

            The wind blew across his face and made his silvery hair flow with the wind. The young face matured over time and his eyes became narrower. His once flimsy arms now have full grown muscles that would allow him to punch through a tree. Hatred for the Battousai has grown larger after he saw the death and murder of his own sister. He looked through his small sunglasses that rest upon his nose to see the fresh new land of China. 

After the Bakumatsu period, he decided to travel to, "the continent". Thoughts of his arrival back in the past surged through his mind. The family that took him in…

"Sure they were nice, but at least they were rich. Now I can survive on my own because of them. Someday I'll go back to Japan and serve that bastard with Jinchuu…" As he was left in his own mind, a man walked up to him.

"Enishi, when did you want the guns by again? The Chinese military is to deliver their weapons from Beijing to Liuzhou this Thursday. We should be able to get it by then." Wu Hei-Shin stood behind Enishi. 


End file.
